The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala notified the Guatemalan Migration Institute on Thursday of a change in the return flights of Central American migrants who are at the El Ceibo Border Post, in the state of Tabasco.
While the Hondurans will return to the Corinto border post, located in Honduras; those who are of Guatemalan nationality will be returned through the Reception Center for Returnees of Tecún Umán San Marcos and the Guatemalan Air Force.
This, days after the Ministry expressed its concern about the presence of groups of migrants of different nationalities at the border ports in El Ceibo and El Carmen, without having previously notified the Guatemalan authorities.
Context: INM and National Guard try to block migrants in Chiapas: how does this new caravan emerge?
Activists who had been consulted by Political Animal They explained that the recent expulsions are not only of people returned by plane from the United States, in application of Title 42, but that it is the Mexican authorities themselves who are practicing irregular deportations.
In early August, there were “express deportations” of migrants, both from the U.S. and Mexico, by air.
Un agency, they expressed concern about these flights: “Individuals or families on board these flights who may have urgent protection needs risk being returned to the same dangers as those who have fled in their countries of origin in Central America, without any opportunity for those needs to be assessed and addressed.”
On this: After raids against migrants, Governor’s Office announces ‘humanitarian camp’ in Chiapas
Raids on migrants
Since Saturday, August 28, hundreds of migrants, mostly Haitians, organized a caravan that left Tapachula, Chiapas. Under heavy rain, the families were harassed by officers from the National Migration Institute (INM), the National Guard and the Army.
The migrants reported that they were not transferred to any immigration station, but were expelled to the border with Guatemala.
Read about it: Two agents suspended for abuses against migrant caravan in Chiapas
Since then, a series of raids have taken place, organized mainly by agents of the INM and the National Guard.
Only on August 31, they launched an operation against the second caravan, which was in the urban center of the municipality of Mapastepec, Chiapas. An undetermined number of people were arrested and their whereabouts are unknown.
On the first day of September, around 400 elements of the National Guard and another 500 of the INM attacked migrants, journalists and activists in a new raid in Mapastepec. Those who already made up the second caravan, were dispersed with physical aggressions, and were chased into private homes.
For you to understand better: New operation against migrant caravan leaves injured and detained in Mapastepec, Chiapas
This Thursday was no exception, those migrants who managed to advance towards the municipality of Escuintla clashed with elements of the same government institutions. Although at first it was a dialogue, they began to throw stones at the agents in an attempt not to be arrested; however, they were subdued to the ground and subsequently arrested. Among them, there were women with babies and several minors.
No caravan has been successful since January 2019, when 13,000 resident cards were delivered on humanitarian grounds at the border with Guatemala and a small group of more than a thousand Central Americans arrived in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, on the U.S. line.
This morning, the president said that migrants are being sought to be kept in shelters in the south-southeast of the country because allowing their entry involves “many risks of human rights violations,” mainly in the north of the country.
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